Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 33


Elise brought her attention back to where the fog had been and watched a man walked toward them clapping slowly. Cage leaned into her a snarl on his lips.
“It’s him.”
Elise squinted her eyes, trying to make out who the man was walking toward them. Even though there was something oddly familiar about him. Her eyes widened as her brain finally placed him. “Paul Campbell, in human form? How can that be?”
“I’ll answer that, sweetheart,” said Paul with a smirk. “You banished Mozath, stupid jerk just stood there and let you banish him with light. I fought, inside the fog, I fought and like always I won.”
“Not like always,” said Elise, with her own smirk. “Seems I banished you from this place before, don’t think I can’t do it again.”
Her body was fraught with fatigue as her heart pounded in her chest causing a throbbing sensation in her ears. Banishing Mozarth had taken a toll on her, but she would stand up to Cage. She wouldn’t let him win. She couldn’t.
Cage laughed loudly. “When you banished me, I was a mere mortal. Now I am a demon. I have more power, more magic, and more strength than you and your town of misfits. Funny thing is I was just going to kill you, but now that they’ve stood behind you, knowing full well what you are … well now they all have to die. I’m prepared to wipe this entire valley off the map.” He glanced down the line at townsfolk. “I hope you all have made peace with your maker.”
“That’s enough,” yelled Cage stepping forward.
Paul laughed louder. “Well, look what the cat drug in. My old student. I would say protégé, but you’re so far off the path I hate to even admit you were a pupil of mine, much less an outstanding one.”
“Just wait until you have to admit that the student has beaten the teacher,” said Cage.
Paul shook his head. “Your worst trait has always been your cockiness.”
“I call it confidence,” said Cage.
“Now listen here,” Mayor Garver stepped forward before Elise could stop him, “we’re a welcoming sort of town. Elise may have cursed the founding families, but it was a curse that was justified. We have learned to live with it. This town thrives because we stand together. We’ve welcomed Cage, knowing he’s a hunter and we have a family of Pixies getting ready to move in as long as they have retired from most of their mischief. We have learned from our ancestors that humans are not the only beings on the planet, just as we have learned from them that not all paranormal beings are bad. Some are simply delightful. Apple Hill is a haven to all and we’ll remains by standing together. We’ll stand together now, just as we did against that black foggy thing against you, and you’ll lose.”
“Is that so?” asked Paul, eyebrow raised.
“It is,” said Mayor Garver, “I’m the mayor of this city. I also vet all the people, supernatural or not, that want to live here. We have rules. Now, you haven’t hurt anyone terribly yet, other than some nightmares, but if you want to retire, let’s talk. There’s a nice little spot just down the road, perfect for a home and a garden.”
“You can’t be serious,” said Cage.
“I am,” said the mayor, “all this gentleman has to do is think wisely and agree to not hurt anyone else.” He turned to Elise. “I hope you’ll make the same agreement when this is all over. We’ve allowed your curse because of that dastardly act those men did so long ago, with the hope that you’ll realize we aren’t them. We aren’t them, Elise.” He turned back to Paul. “We aren’t here to harm anyone. Can you say the same? Wouldn’t you like to live in peace?”

Friday, March 20, 2020

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 32


Elise thought the touch would be hindering, but with each hand added to the line, she felt her power surge. The town … her town … was coming together, sharing their energy with her. Sharing their love with her.
She again flexed her fingers ready to cast a spell if the fog even twitched wrong. She closed her eyes for a moment and pictured the line, pictured all the people ready to help her defend her home … their home. She felt their pride, their bravery and their fear. She knew it took courage beyond word for them to face the fog that had made so many people fall to their knees screaming.
Mr. King’s hand released her shoulder for a moment, causing Elise to open her eyes and see Mr. King making way for Cage beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, just as Mr. King had done and she felt a rumble beneath her feet before a surge of magic flowed through her body. She let out a warrior cry as the magic fused itself to her soul, a magic of pure, genuine love and hope. A magic of light.
Elise thrust her hands out and watched as bright white light blazed from her fingers. “Be gone you monster to the pits of hell. Be gone you fiend to where evil dwells. You will not live to give fright. You will not win this fight, this night.”
The fog twisted and turned in what appeared to be agony and Elise could feel Cage’s hand tighten on her shoulder as the magic of light and love flowed through her fingers and into the beast. The ground started to rumble as Elise worked to keep her footing. She could see in her peripheral that a lot of the townspeople were falling to their knees, unable to stay standing, as the ground rolled under them.
The rumble stopped, but the light kept flowing through Elise’s fingers.
“I banish you to hell!” she screamed as a surge of light pulsed through her body hitting the fog with the force of a thousand suns. The fog let out a roar before folding up inside itself and disappearing with a simple whoosh.
Elise fell to her knees and panted, as every ounce of strength wilted into the ground. Cage was by her side in an instant.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded, unable to find the energy to speak. She used what little energy she had left to look around. The fog was gone, but something was still not right. The world had gone eerily quiet. No birds sung, or bugs buzzed. Pammy no longer cried on the sidewalk and though Elise expected to hear some kind of gasps relief from the town people, it was all silent, as if the fog had taken all the ambient sound with it when it disappeared.
Cage helped her to her feet and she was a bit surprised to see they still bore her weight even when they felt as if they were made of nothing but jelly. She looked around, taking stock of the people and searching for any injuries she could heal, when a slow clap started to fill the silence.
Elise brought her attention back to where the fog had been and watched a man walked toward them clapping slowly. Cage leaned into her a snarl on his lips.
“It’s him.”

Monday, March 16, 2020

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 31



Movement caught Elise’s eyes as she saw Ms. Welch walking up to the fog with her walker.
“No,” cried Elise, but Ms. Welch either couldn’t hear her or didn’t want to.
“Listen here you beast,” yelled Ms. Welch as she clenched her fist at the fog, “You stop this right now.”
The fog swirled around as if to face Ms. Welch. Elise wasn’t sure a fog could have a face, but it appeared to be staring at the little old lady.
“I know what you are,” yelled Ms. Welch, “and you’re not welcome here. We are a kind and true people and evil has no place here.”
Elise watched in astonishment at Mr. King walked up behind Ms. Welch, a look of determination on his own face. “This is our town,” he scolded. “We’ll not let you ruin it.”
Elise watched as the fog twisted a bit. It was almost as if it were cocking it’s head at a row of ants marching food to their burrow. Soon the mayor was also standing with Ms. Welch and Mr. King.
“Our families built this place and we’ll protect with every means we’ve got,” stated the mayor.
Elise shook her head as the entire town not already affected by the black monster hurried up to stand with Ms. Welch, Mr. King, and Mayor Garver. All it would take would be for the fog to swirl around them and then the whole town would be gone.
She couldn’t let that happen. She might have been angry at the folks who invaded her town so many years ago, but as they stood together one by one to defend it from the scariest thing they had ever seen in their lives, she knew she loved them. She loved them because they were protecting Apple Hill the way she would. They were putting their safety aside for their beloved town and the folks that lived in that town. They were all sacrificing their lives for the very thing she had been trying to protect all these years … Apple Hill.
Elise knew what she had to do. She ran over and stood in front of Ms. Welch.
“I’ll not let you hurt them,” she yelled. “You leave this place now. You’ve been warned.”
“Now you’ve done it,” said Ms. Welch. “You’ve riled up our witch. Better move along now.”
Elise looked at Ms. Welch. “You knew?”
“Oh honey, we all know,” said Ms. Welch with a firm nod. “You want to do that thing you do now and chit chat later?”
“Stand back,” Elise ordered the townspeople.
“Oh no, it doesn’t work that way,” said Mr. King as he put his hand on her shoulder. “We’re here to help.”
“All of us,” said Ms. Welch as she put her hand on Elise’s other shoulder. She watched as the rest of the townspeople lined up and put their hands on each other’s shoulders on either side of her building a wall.
Elise thought the touch would be hindering, but with each hand added to the line, she felt her power surge. The town … her town … was coming together, sharing their energy with her. Sharing their love with her.

Friday, March 6, 2020

March Birthstone!

It is March!
If you were born this month you are an 
Adorable Aquamarine!

Aquamarine  " The Stone Of Enlightenment"
I am helpful in understanding underlying emotional states and interpreting how you really feel.  I sooth fear and increase sensitivity. Wear me close to your heart and feel the sea, recalling dolphin dances with childlike delight!




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Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Witch of Apple Hill ~ Part 30


“Will someone please tell me what this Dark Onyx thing is?” cried Rosemary. “Dorothea and Ernest are in that thing and I need to know what we’re dealing with!”
Elise lifted her hand to her shoulder and Roark crawled onto it looking at her with sad eyes. “For every familiar that vows to protect a witch, there is an opposite. Roark’s opposite is, well was, in the Dark Onyx. Placing that evil demon in the onyx stone was the last thing my father did before he died.”
“The demon in the stone is said to have more power than ten familiars,” explained Cage, “especially if a hunter sacrifices his own life to free it from a confines spell. Paul was able to free Mozath and has now come to seek revenge from Elise and myself.”
Roark started to tremble and Elise knew he was about to change to his natural form.
“Roark no,” said Elise, snuggling the spider up to her cheek, “he’ll kill you.”
“We need Roark,” stated Cage, “in his true form.”
Elise shook her head. “No, he and Rosemary need to stay inside. As do you. I will face Paul and Mozath alone.”
“Absolutely not!” snapped Cage.
“Cage is right,” said Rosemary, “you can’t do this alone.”
“I’m the only one with the magic to contain him,” said Elise. She handed Roark to Cage, a bit surprised that the spider didn’t fight the transfer.
“Elise,” Cage warned, but she was already circling her fingers.
“Stay you must, inside this trust. Leaving this space is forbidden, please value the safety you’ve been given. This spell of safety will protect, while this demon I collect. ”
“No,” Cage gasped as Elise walked out of the shelving room and into the main part of the library. He tried to follow her but was barred from passing over the threshold of the door. “I know Paul. You have to let me help. We have to do this together.”
Rosemary and Roark also tried to pass through the door, both being stopped. Roark let out a roar, while Rosemary began to sob, “Don’t do this, Elise.”
Elise looked at her friend and fought to keep the fear from flooding her face. “I have to.”


Chapter 10


Elise walked out of the library with her arms hanging loosely by her side and her fingers moving ever so slightly to stir the magic inside. She knew she wouldn’t have time to cast spells and the magic that needed to flow from her would be raw and powerful. She cleared her mind, erasing the fear she saw on Cage, Roark, and Rosemary’s faces as she left them in the library.
They couldn’t help her. Rosemary was but a ghost, Roark hadn’t transformed into his true form in ages and Cage was a human who dabbled in magic. He knew how to hunt, but this wasn’t the typical prey. You couldn’t just punch or stab a powerful demon-human hybrid. She would have to figure out how to banish the creature. She wished she had a stone, like the powerful onyx her father had used when he captured Mozath the last time.
She turned the corner and saw the black fog. Her eyes flicked to Pammy who was on the ground in the fetal position, rocking back and forth as she sobbed. It should have brought Elise comfort to see Pammy’s father beside his daughter, but the look of agony on his face gave truth that he couldn’t protect Pammy and was enduring his own internal nightmare.
Movement caught Elise’s eyes as she saw Ms. Welch walking up to the fog with her walker.
“No,” cried Elise, but Ms. Welch either couldn’t hear her or didn’t want to.
“Listen here you beast,” yelled Ms. Welch as she clenched her fist at the fog, “You stop this right now.”